Bunny
by The madness in me
Summary: "Tony, nobody wants a ten-foot bunny rabbit. Nobody." Pepper was wearing her 'I'm trying to be patient but I'm ready to snap' smile. Giant bunny. Needs good home.


"Tony, nobody wants a ten-foot bunny rabbit. Nobody." Pepper was wearing her 'I'm trying to be patient but I'm ready to snap' smile. Also known as smile 43 in Tony's mental catalogue of Pepper Potts facial expressions "I appreciate that you were trying to be cute and I'm grateful for the effort and Tony I love you, I really do, but it needs to go."

The bunny in question had graced the lobby of his Malibu home for just over a year now and had been the source of several heated discussions in that time. Even Tony was beginning to admit it was kind of in the way. Apparently, Pepper had finally reached her limit.

Tony nodded in acceptance and tried to hide his disappointment. All joking aside he really had thought she would like it. Something about the ridiculously oversized rabbit had awoken some deep-rooted, childlike part of him the moment he had seen it, a sense of innocent wonder and carefree amusement that he vaguely remembered from a time long ago when everything around him had seemed ten-foot tall.

It was that feeling more than anything that he had been trying to share with her when he decided to purchase his ridiculous gift. It would seem Pepper had not experienced the same rush.

"What should I do with it?"

"I don't know" The woman rolled her eyes "Maybe you can donate it to someone?"

"Who?"

"I don't know Tony. Who might want a ten-foot tall stuffed bunny-rabbit?"

"Well according to you, no one" He sniped without malice.

"Sir, Captain Rogers has arrived." JARVIS's calm tone cut through the argument swiftly, shocking both.

"Steve's here?" Pepper frowned, looking to Tony in question.

The billionaire smiled back at her. "I invited him to stay the week. Team building and what-not. Where is he Jay?"

"In the lobby Sir."

Pepper rolled her eyes, once again reminded of the subject of their prior discussion and Tony grinned back at her in amusement wondering what the soldier out of time would think of the oversized toy.

He didn't have to wait long to find out, as he and Pepper walked brusquely towards the lobby to meet their guest. Tony would afterwards be forever grateful that the distance between his living room and his lobby was exactly 30 meters and that it took him exactly 48 seconds to make that journey.

The couple arrived just in time to see the prim and proper symbol of American virtue run across the room in a neat little sprint and launch himself head first into an unsuspecting giant plush toy.

The rabbit toppled on impact, rolling onto its back and skidding slightly across the tiled floor.

Peppers yelp of surprise drew the attention of the super soldier who now lay straddling the oversized toy.

The billionaire snorted in amusement as the blonde man turned his head to grin at them both, without a hint of shame or repentance for his childish display, simply curling himself further around the soft bunny.

Tony caught the Captains gaze and felt a warmth spread through him as he saw those blue eyes sparkle with delight and that same wonder that had drawn him to the toy in the first place.

"This is amazing." Steve told them with utter sincerity "I want one"

Pepper buried her face in her palm to avoid the smug grin her boyfriend was directing her was as she fought not to laugh.

"You're in luck Steven" She smiled, shaking her head in bemusement "This one needs a home"

…..

Bucky shuffled awkwardly into Steve's apartment, still feeling a little groggy and out of place as he worked through years of repressed memories. It had taken months for his friend to convince him to stay with him, urging the former assassin with promises of comfort and safety.

The Soldier took in his surroundings, neat kitchen, worn out table, ugly brown sofa that admittedly looked pretty comfortable, pile of sketchbooks…

Eyes widened, locked on the corner of the room.

"Steve…." His voice came out higher than intended, shock driving away all other thought for a moment as the rational part of his mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.

"What the hell is that?!"

He could hear the laughter in the blondes voice when he replied.

"Oh…that's Bunny"

* * *

A/N: set in an AU where the Malibu house wasn't blown up.


End file.
